We Found The Top 10 Best Pizzas In New York
New Yorkers love arguing about pizza almost as much as they love eating it. Ask ten locals where to find the city’s best slice, and you’ll probably get eleven answers.
Delivered with absolute confidence. That’s because pizza here isn’t just food. It’s neighborhood pride, family tradition, and occasionally the fastest way to start a friendly debate. Thin crust or thick.
Fold it or don’t. Classic cheese or loaded with toppings.
Everyone has an opinion, and nobody plans on changing it. But every now and then, a few pizzerias rise above the arguments. The kind of places that make first-timers understand the hype and lifelong New Yorkers nod in quiet approval.
We set out to find those rare exceptions.
The pizzas worth crossing boroughs, skipping diets, and happily waiting in line for.
1. Una Pizza Napoletana
Some pizzas arrive and immediately demand your full attention. Una Pizza Napoletana is exactly that kind of place.
Tucked away at 175 Orchard Street in New York, this spot is the real deal when it comes to authentic Neapolitan pizza.
The crust here is something worth talking about. It is naturally leavened using a sourdough starter, with nothing but flour, water, salt, and a whole lot of patience.
The result is a wonderfully airy, pillowy edge with a thin, papery center that practically melts in your mouth.
Toppings are kept intentionally simple, because when your ingredients are this good, less is absolutely more.
Buffalo mozzarella, sweet tomato sauce, and a kiss of basil do all the talking. Every pizza is hand-shaped and baked in a wood-burning oven, giving it that signature blistered finish.
This is not a place chasing trends or stacking on novelty toppings for social media clout.
Una Pizza Napoletana is about honoring a centuries-old tradition with quiet confidence and exceptional craft. If you have ever wondered what pizza tastes like when someone truly cares about every single detail, this is your answer.
2. L’Industrie Pizzeria
Brooklyn has a way of making everything feel cooler, and L’Industrie Pizzeria is no exception. This Williamsburg gem at 254 South 2nd Street in Brooklyn has built a serious reputation for doing pizza in a way that feels both familiar and completely fresh.
The dough goes through a three-day cold fermentation process. That extra time translates into incredible flavor and a texture that hits differently from your average New York slice.
The crust is thin, crispy at the edges, and just chewy enough in the center to make you pause mid-bite.
Their Prosciutto and Burrata pizza is the kind of combination that makes you wonder why you ever ate anything else. The house-made sauces are bright and balanced, and the locally sourced toppings bring a freshness that elevates every single slice.
Even their classic Margherita is worth writing home about.
L’Industrie manages to blend Italian sensibility with New York energy in a way that feels effortless. It is the kind of pizza spot that regulars guard like a secret but cannot help telling everyone about anyway.
Once you try it, you will completely understand why the line out front never seems to get shorter.
3. Don Antonio
Walking into Don Antonio feels like stepping into a Neapolitan kitchen where the rules have been perfected over generations. Located at 309 West 50th Street in New York, this spot is a true destination for anyone who takes their pizza seriously.
With over thirty distinct Neapolitan pizza varieties on the menu, choosing just one feels almost unfair. Each pie comes out of a proper wood-fired oven with that characteristic soft center and beautifully charred, puffy cornicione that Neapolitan pizza is famous for around the world.
One of the most exciting things about Don Antonio is the pizza fritta. It is fried pizza, a beloved Neapolitan street food tradition that does not get nearly enough attention outside of Italy.
Golden, crispy on the outside, and impossibly light inside, it is a revelation for anyone trying it for the first time.
They also offer a full gluten-free menu, which means nobody at the table has to sit this one out. Don Antonio is the kind of place that earns its reputation not through hype but through consistency and genuine passion for the craft.
Every visit feels like a celebration of what pizza can truly be when it is made without shortcuts.
4. Jay’s Artisan Pizzeria
Not every great pizza in the New York area wears a thin crust and a Manhattan zip code. Jay’s Artisan Pizzeria at 2872 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore is proof that incredible pizza can come from unexpected places, and it is absolutely worth the trip.
Jay’s masters two very different styles under one roof. Their Neapolitan pies are light, airy, and delicate with those gorgeous crisp edges that snap just right.
But their Detroit-style pizzas are where things get truly exciting.
The Detroit-style pies are baked in a special hand-built Pavesi brick oven, and the result is a caramelized cheese frico crust that crunches with every bite.
The dough is prepared using long leavening and high hydration, which creates a fluffy, open crumb structure that somehow manages to be both hearty and light at the same time.
Jay’s is the kind of place where every pizza feels intentional, like someone thought hard about every layer and every ingredient before the pie even hit the oven. The Detroit square, in particular, has converted more than a few die-hard thin-crust loyalists.
Trying both styles in one visit is not just allowed, it is practically required to get the full picture of what Jay’s is all about.
5. Ribalta
Ribalta is the kind of place that makes you feel like you have somehow teleported to Naples without the airfare.
Sitting at 48 East 12th Street in New York, this pizzeria brings old-world Neapolitan tradition to the heart of Manhattan with serious commitment.
What sets Ribalta apart is the science behind the crust. Their dough is famously soft, beautifully structured, and boasts excellent leavening that results in a cornicione you genuinely look forward to eating.
The flour used for every pizza is milled directly in Italy, and that difference is noticeable from the very first bite.
Here is something you probably did not know: Ribalta uses three distinct ovens.
Each one contributes subtle variations to the crust, giving different pies their own unique character. That kind of attention to detail is rare, and it shows in the consistency across the menu.
The flavors are clean, the ingredients are sourced with care, and the entire experience feels grounded in a deep respect for Neapolitan pizza-making tradition.
Ribalta is not trying to reinvent anything, it is simply doing the original thing exceptionally well. For anyone who wants a true taste of Naples without leaving New York, this is the table to book.
6. Lucali
There is a reason people talk about Lucali in hushed, reverent tones. It is the kind of pizzeria that has earned its legendary status one perfect pie at a time.
Head to 575 Henry Street in Brooklyn and you will quickly understand what all the reverence is about.
The menu at Lucali is almost aggressively simple. Pizza and calzones.
That is essentially it. But that simplicity is the whole point, because when your pizza is this good, you do not need a dozen options to impress anyone.
The crust is where Lucali truly shines. It comes out of the brick oven with beautifully blistered, slightly charred edges and a center that holds its structure while staying wonderfully tender.
Every bite has that perfect balance of crunch and chew that pizza lovers spend years searching for.
There is something almost meditative about watching a Lucali pie come together.
The dough is rolled with a bottle, the toppings are layered with care, and the whole thing goes into the oven like a small work of art.
Lucali is not just one of the best pizzas in New York. It is one of those rare food experiences that genuinely sticks with you long after the last slice is gone.
7. John’s Of Bleecker Street
Some places carry history in their walls, and John’s of Bleecker Street is one of them. Sitting at 278 Bleecker Street in New York, this institution has been feeding the city since 1915, making it one of the oldest pizzerias still operating in New York today.
The coal-fired brick oven here is not just a cooking method, it is a philosophy. That original coal-fired oven was actually acquired from a bread baker back in 1909, and it has been producing incredible pies ever since.
The heat it generates creates a crust with a char and crispness that modern ovens simply cannot replicate.
John’s is famous for serving only whole pies. No slices.
That rule might feel old-fashioned to some, but it is actually a badge of honor. It means every pizza is made fresh, to order, and treated with the kind of respect a great pie deserves.
The style here is often called tomato pie, a nod to an earlier era of American pizza when the sauce was the star.
Stepping into John’s feels like flipping through a photo album of New York food history. It is classic, unapologetic, and absolutely delicious in a way that only comes from over a century of doing one thing right.
8. Mama’s TOO!
Mama’s TOO! is the kind of pizza spot that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about what a slice could be.
Found at 2750 Broadway in New York, this place has built a devoted following by doing square pizza in a way that is genuinely unlike anything else in the city.
The square slices here blend elements of Sicilian, Detroit, and Roman pizza al taglio styles into something that feels entirely its own.
The crust is thick, crispy, and deeply satisfying, with a frico edge where the cheese caramelizes into a golden, crunchy border that is honestly addictive.
Even the triangular slices get the Mama’s treatment, with a charred bottom and a crispness that holds up to even the most generous toppings.
The flavor combinations here lean gourmet without ever feeling pretentious. Classic methods meet creative instincts in every single pie.
Mama’s TOO! is the kind of place that rewards curiosity. Trying something outside your usual order almost always pays off here.
The square slice in particular has become something of a New York food icon, showing up on best-of lists with good reason. This is pizza that makes a statement, and it is one you will want to hear again and again.
9. Taglio Pizza
Taglio Pizza brings a refreshing dual personality to the pizza scene, and it pulls off both styles with impressive confidence.
Located at 85 Mineola Boulevard in Mineola, this spot offers both classic New York-style round pies and hearty Roman square pizzas that give you a very good reason to visit.
The Roman al taglio pies are where Taglio really gets creative. Options like Cacio E Pepe pizza and Potato Rosemary bring bold, unexpected flavors to the crust in a way that feels genuinely inspired.
The Mortadella Pistachio combination is the kind of thing that sounds surprising until you try it and immediately wonder why it is not on every menu in the city.
For anyone who cannot commit to just one style, Taglio offers a Half and Half option that lets you combine two specialty pies into a single order.
That kind of flexibility is rare and deeply appreciated by anyone who has ever stood at a counter unable to make up their mind.
The Classica, with its simple tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, is a reminder that the fundamentals still matter most.
Taglio is the kind of pizza spot that quietly earns a permanent spot on your rotation. What is your pizza personality, round or square?
10. DeFazio’s Pizzeria
DeFazio’s Pizzeria in Troy is the kind of spot that reminds you why old-school pizza places still hold their own against any newcomer.
At 266 4th Street in Troy, this beloved pizzeria has been crafting wood-fired pies with a dedication that goes back generations.
The crust here is a beautiful contradiction. It is light enough to feel delicate but has enough substance to carry toppings without collapsing.
That balance is harder to achieve than it sounds, and DeFazio’s makes it look effortless every single time.
Their signature red sauce is the kind of sauce that food memories are made of. It is rich, umami-forward, and built with a depth of flavor that only comes from real ingredients and time-honored technique.
If you add the sausage, expect a subtle, perfectly seasoned bite that complements the sauce without overpowering it.
DeFazio’s also offers specialty doughs and gluten-free crust options, making it a genuinely welcoming spot for any pizza lover regardless of dietary preference.
There is something deeply satisfying about a place that has stayed true to its roots while continuing to show up and deliver. DeFazio’s is proof that great pizza does not need a Manhattan address or a social media moment to be absolutely worth every bite.